Born in Chicago, Illinois. Swanson is an Associate Professor in the ATLAS Institute and the Herbst Program for Engineering, Ethics & Society at the University of Colorado Boulder where he works and teaches at the intersection of language and technology. He holds a courtesy appointment in the Intermedia Arts Writing and Performance PhD Program. He received his Master of Fine Art at the University of California, San Diego with a focus in Computing and the Arts.
His artwork has been exhibited nationally and internationally at institutions including The Banff Centre for the Arts, The Broad Museum in Lansing, The Power Plant in Toronto, the 57th Venice Biennale at the European Cultural Center, the Glucksman Museum in Cork Ireland, the North Miami Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver. He is a Black Cube Fellow and his work is included in the Electronic Literature Organization’s 4th Anthology.
He is represented by David B. Smith Gallery in Denver.